Misstep
by le mousquetaire
Summary: Vincent Adler watches Neal and wonders... Translated by mam711


_Oh, the innocence of youth ... audacity and stupidity in equal measure._

Vincent Adler had made a career out of appropriating the dreams of others, of finding their weaknesses and exploiting them.

As a lover of everything beautiful, exotic and hard to get, from time to time he allowed himself the luxury of being carried away by his own weaknesses and enjoy a little treat for himself.

And Nick Halden – or should he say Neal Caffrey – was a whim that he was disposed toward giving himself, without thinking about what it might cost him.

When Nick entered his life, the idea was born in him to take him into his care and make him the best of his kind, to impart his knowledge and experience, and to mold him to his liking.

It had been easy to discover who Nick Halden really was, and why he had insisted on being part of his team. Mozzie was a household name within the closed circle of con men that were based in New York, and the story of his new star pupil, the man who had forged perfect Atlantic Inc. bonds, had piqued his curiosity.

He wanted to see what this Neal Caffrey was capable of, this charming man who was earning an excellent reputation in the profession by dint of charm and lots of good luck.

Nick was on a mission to infiltrate his operation, gain his trust; anything to obtain the information necessary to steal his money. Adler had to acknowledge his dedication to duty, his eagerness to please him, to meet all his needs and exceed his expectations. Nick was climbing in the organization and Adler enjoyed giving him challenges, confident that he would come out victorious.

He persuaded Kate to accept Nick's romantic advances, assuring her that it would be best for both of them. While his assistant refused at first, the promise of considerable remuneration, if things turned out the way he wanted, ended up convincing her.

Using Alex Hunter as bait ended up being much more productive than he had foreseen in his plans.

Neal Caffrey was trying to scam him, and Adler would pay him back in kind, except that he had in his favor the experience and coldbloodedness that Neal lacked, but, he was sure, Neal would develop these after his dealings with him.

But it was not just that which attracted him to Caffrey. It was the innocence, the naivete behind those beautiful blue eyes, which motivated him much more than revenge.

He recognized his influence over Neal and did not hesitate to use it. Neal enjoyed obeying orders and Adler was intoxicated by the idea of having absolute power over him. While he let him believe that he trusted him completely, Adler was gaining Neal's trust, and little by little, Adler discovered his weaknesses, those small and subtle signals telling him when he lied to him, or had ulterior motives in his words or actions.

It was because of those signals that he discovered the moment when Neal was going to play his final hand and seek to obtain his account information, in order to complete his long and elaborate scam. He devised a way to give him a last chance to open up to him and put aside his plan, after which he might consider telling him the truth about his project and make him part of his team. Someone like Neal would be a big help in realizing his most cherished dream: seizing the last big batch of art and money left by the Nazis after the war.

He called him into his office and introduced him to Nelson, his tailor. He was giving Neal a tailored suit, of the best quality, as a reward for his good work. Neal was touched by the gesture and Adler found it delicious to see a blush reddening his cheeks, overwhelmed by the generosity of his employer.

This was the same man who, in a stroke of audacity, had managed to reach the very center of his defenses.

He watched him undress to allow Nelson to take his measurements, and ran his eyes over his shirtless torso, muscles moving under the skin, a vision that reminded him of Michelangelo's David: perfect and completely ignorant of that perfection.

His body reacted to the sight before him and he was swept away by the sensations provoked by the silhouette, barely covered, of Neal's body. Nelson had made a suit to his specifications and just needed to make some small adjustments so that it would fit to perfection.

While he'd been working at his side, Neal had acquired a taste for the finer things, along with the attitude needed to possess them. When he saw how well a tailored suit fit him, he would never again wear the mediocre clothes that he'd been used to.

When he tried out what it meant to be like Vincent Adler, he would never again want to return to simply being Neal Caffrey.

He felt Neal's eyes on him and, intentionally, again ran his own over his body, from bottom to top, until their eyes met. He didn't even bother to hide the desire and admiration in his eyes, curious to know what Neal would do with that information.

Neal held his gaze and the sight didn't stop Adler from noticing how his skin tingled and a slight shiver ran down his body. Neal understood what the moment meant, and far from being defensive or pretending to ignore the situation, he took the challenge and acted accordingly.

Adler watched him run his tongue over his parted lips and relax his body, separating his legs slightly, arms at his side, an open invitation to keep watching him. Adler smiled and leaned on the edge of his desk, looking at him with no shame whatsoever.

_Let's see__if__you have__the guts__to__go through with this,_ he thought as he saw him disappear behind the screen, to put himself in Nelson's hands.

Neal was born to wear these outfits. The lean, strong body of a ballet dancer, the ridiculously-perfect face, the secure way he carried himself, and that mischievous look that provoked without even realizing it.

But this time there was something more behind the mask of Nick Halden, as if Neal were going to slip out at the first provocation.

Adler waited, without missing a single detail.

"What's wrong?" he asked him when he noticed the tension in his face. It was the perfect time to apply some pressure and make him tell the truth.

Neal asked Nelson to leave them alone, and Adler let a satisfied smile curve his lips. Whatever happened, it would definitely be an important moment for both.

Neal approached him slowly, full of doubts, completely exposed, and Adler felt excitement warm his insides, felt his pulse rate quicken. Images came and went through his mind, as he analyzed the pros and cons of this or that decision. He was aware that he could lose everything because of this unhealthy need to possess beauty in any form, was aware that Neal Caffrey was not worth the risk, but the sole thought of leaving his mark on this man – emotionally and physically – was devastating.

"There'something you need to know..." Neal paused for a second and Adler could see in his eyes that something was wrong, terribly wrong. Something had happened that made Neal lose the thread of his thoughts and Adler knew immediately that he had lost him, that the moment he had waited for for months had evaporated in front of him.

Neal had missed the opportunity of his lifetime without knowing it, and Adler wasn't one to be forgiving of human stupidity.

He barely paid attention to Neal's words, which only served to give him a way to prepare what would be his last lesson. He was never going to let him forget how close he had come to glory.

_Nice try, Neal._


End file.
